


Made Us Mean to Fight for You

by WorkingChemistry



Series: They can keep their treasure [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Dick loves his baby brothers, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, It’s all in the past tho, Jason’s got a new mama who loves him, Multiversal happenings, Things have decided to balance by transporting Jasons from one multiverse, and his new son, to another
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-07 23:20:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21466192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WorkingChemistry/pseuds/WorkingChemistry
Summary: Everyone has a Jason but Dick. He’s trying to understand, but he’s afraid he’s just straight up jealous. Then a new Jason appears.Of all the things Dick thought he might be when he grew up, a mama wasn’t one of them.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd
Series: They can keep their treasure [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1547368
Comments: 30
Kudos: 464





	Made Us Mean to Fight for You

**Author's Note:**

> So you’ve probably seen this on Tumblr, but I’m working on expanding it into a full series. I also got a request to post this here, so here we are.  
The semesters almost over. Three weeks, and one of those is thanksgiving break. I’m so so ready.

It was getting easier to identify the Jasons as they appeared. Their Jason never disappeared and the magic users had all agreed, without knowing that the others were consulted, this was actually a good thing; a way for the multiverse to rebalance is what they had said. 

It was just... somewhat disappointing that Dick couldn’t keep ahold of any of them. It wasn’t that they belonged to anyone per say, but it was a fact that some Jasons were more fond of one family member or another; and none of them favored Dick. 

“Too clingy. When’d he start caring about being a brother anyhow?” Said the Robin aged Jason who followed Bruce around like a lost puppy. The Jay who followed Damian around didn’t really say much, but his blank stare at the wall could be surprisingly expressive when he was unhappy with someone—that someone being Dick. The Red Hood era Jason usually tried to take Dick’s head off, but at least there he wasn’t being singled out. That Jason tried to take off the head of everyone except Alfred.

Their universe’s Jason is quieter now, more aloof, but he tends to work with Tim the most. It’s a toss up whether that’s because he actually enjoys Tim’s company, or because he trusts Tim to take him out with prejudice if the pit ever rears it’s head again. “‘S no offense Dickie, but y’know you feel too bad to conk me out when I need it. Timmy at least knows when he’s got to hurt me.” 

Even Cass, Duke, and Steph share a Jason—one who somehow skipped the vigilante life and apparently had tenure at a university somewhere thanks to Bruce’s connections. He tutors Cass and Duke while he takes college classes with Stephanie to re-earn his degree and apparently has never interacted with Dick for longer than an awkward holiday dinner. He also has no intentions of ever changing that. 

So the multiverse has seen fit to bestow everyone but Dick a Jason to smother in love, and Dick is trying really, really hard to not be jealous. He’s taken over most of the patrols so that everyone can spend time with their Jason, helping them adjust to their new lives. Well, he splits a lot of them with Tim and their original Jason. Bruce is trying to cut back on patrol so he can wean his Jason off Robin-ing.

Anyway, it’s easier to throw himself into work than to examine the old wounds being torn back open with every appearance of a Jason who’s not Dick’s. 

So he’ll have to be forgiven for the traitorous hope that burns in his chest when Alfred reports a disturbance with the same readings as the other Jason appearances in Crime Alley. Bruce responds, but Dick decides to show up anyway. This could be his Jay and he doesn’t want to risk missing a single second. 

Bruce is on the roof above the abandoned apartment complex, already stripped out of the bat suit to pull on more casual wear, when Dick arrives. He sighs when he sees Dick, but doesn’t try to persuade him to leave. “Take your mask off at least. He’s young.”

“How young?” Dick is already reaching to release the domino before Bruce finishes talking. He also steals the hoodie Bruce was supposed to wear so he can cover up the vibrant blue symbol across his chest. All of the Jasons had been quite clear on the fact that Jason’s parents had feared Batman and Robin when he was a child. 

Bruce frowns, and that means he doesn’t know. “He’s malnourished, but no older than six.” 

So, young. 

Any hope Dick has of getting this one evaporates. Bruce is the dad, Dick’s just a big brother. Not even a good big brother if his track record is to be believed. Still, this is a Jay who needs them. He’ll always be there for his Little Wing—never again will he make the mistake of believing Bruce alone will be enough to protect his brothers. 

They enter the apartment complex through a window next door to the apartment that Jason is in. They figure it will be easier on the tyke if they don’t bust in through the window. A couple jiggles of the doorknob and they’re in. 

A very grubby toddler, shirt fraying in so many places it lets them see every rib on the boy’s battered frame, looks up at them. He doesn’t flinch or shy away from the strange men, just blinks at them with an expression far too resigned to belong to any little boy. In his hands he clutches a clear baggie of white crystals. Old bruises line his jaw and neck, one eye nearly swollen shut. He’s breathing through his mouth, revealing missing teeth that shouldn’t have fallen out yet.

Bruce is at the baby’s side immediately reaching for him. “Jason.”

Silent tears streak down the boy’s face. A sob doesn’t even hitch his shoulders. The most he does is duck his head and thrust the baggie out to Bruce. “S-sorry, Da. ‘M sorry, mama said—“

Before he really even registers that he’s moving, Dick is shoving Bruce away from the boy. He’s seen that resignation too often on too many tiny faces before they’re taken to foster care. Offhand, once when he was incredibly and devastatingly drunk, Jason had admitted that in bad lighting Bruce looked a lot like Willis. He’d never mentioned bruises, but they weren’t hard to figure out from context. 

Bruce turns on Dick, angry but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, “What’s wrong with you?”

“Bruce we need to step out. Now.” Dick infuses his tone, his body language, with every ounce of urgency that he can summon. He’s vibrating with it as he takes Bruce’s elbow. 

Bruce looks like he wants to argue, but then he glances at Jason again and this time seems to notice the terror driving the little boy to hide under a broken table. His expression shutters immediately, but he strides to the exit with repressed anger taut in his shoulders. 

Dick follows him, but pauses first in front of Jason. He crouches a few feet away so he’s eye level and keeps his voice soft. “I’ll be right back, okay? Can you be brave and stay here for me until I get back?”

Jason’s eyes are wide with terror, but indignation twists across his tiny features. “I’m four, nota baby. ‘M plenty brave.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Dick smiles, and for once his smile seems to make a Jason relax. “It’s okay to be scared though. I promise I won’t be long.”

The resignation is back, making Jason look more like an old man than a literal baby. His gaze tracks to Bruce looming in the doorway. “Can I cover my ears when you scream?” 

“No one’s going to scream, Little Wing.” Dick forces his smile to stay steady. “But you can cover your ears.”

The chat with Bruce is brief. Bruce isn’t called a detective for nothing. Once Dick startled him out of Dad Mode, Bruce no doubt picked up on the fact that: one, this Jason didn't know Bruce as his dad yet and two, Jason didn't seem eager to see his dad either. 

“I’ll have Alfred ready a room for him in the manor.” is all Bruce says. 

Dick doesn’t point out that Alfred’s probably already finished with that, he’s too worried about getting back to Jason. 

The little boy is still curled up under the table, hands clamped tight over his ears, baggie still clutched tight in one hand. It takes a second for him to notice Dick, but then he’s scrambling closer. “You ‘kay?”

“I’m okay, Jason.” Dick holds still while Jason scans every inch of visible skin with far more efficiency than he has any right to at that age. It’s hard not to reach out and clutch the baby tight to his chest. “What have you got there?”

“Mama’s medicine. For her hurts.” Jason hugs it tight to his chest and rocks back a half step like he’s scared Dick might take the drugs. “It makes Da money.” 

Dick doesn’t know what to say to that.

It doesn’t seem like Jason needs a response though. He’s already slinking closer like a starved dog expecting to get hit. “Mama was cold last night an’ so’s Da took her to go somewhere else. Said ‘s time for a new bitch. I think she’s dead.” The little boy hesitates, just out of Dick’s reach. “You’re real pretty. You from the corner?”

“I’m not with your Da, Jason.” Dick swallows down the heartbreak. He doesn’t know if the Catherine from this little boy’s universe really is dead, but he does know that he’s vehemently glad that Jason’s not there anymore. “He’s not coming back. Do you think you can come live with me?”

Jason bites at his bottom lip before shyly reaching up to be held. “Kay.” 

The lack of attachment to his caregivers is one more sign of abuse in a long list, and Dick’s whole body aches with the knowledge that their original Jason had suffered through all of it—hadn’t gotten out until he was twelve—and none of them had known just how bad it was. 

Jason is skeletal thin in Dick’s hold, snuggling close. He finally releases the baggie, tucking it into Dick’s hoodie. “So’s you don’t hurt.”

Dick doesn’t know what to say, so he settles for kissing the greasy, matted curls tucked against his collar. First things first, he’s buying the little boy McDonalds, and Alfred can fight him. Then once they get back to the manor they’ll have to see about getting him a bath and clothes. Third, he’s going to call his lawyer to have them draw up the adoption papers. 

This Jason is his. 

**Author's Note:**

> Title for this and the series is from The Mother by Brandi Carlile


End file.
